Lesson 26: Game Items and Props

Environment is set — inside it you need things to pick up, use, and equip. These small things are items / props.

Small as they are, the rules match big environments: readable at a glance, unified style, don't outshine the protagonist.

1. Sort by Function First

Type	Purpose	Examples
Consumable	One-time use	Potions, food, ammo
Equipment	Worn for ongoing effect	Sword, armor, ring
Material	Craft / upgrade input	Ore, herbs
Quest item	Story / unlock	Key, letter
Currency	Trade medium	Gold, tokens
Collectible	Codex, achievements	Cards, stars

Rarity often hinted by border/glow color (white → green → blue → purple → gold). Convention, not law — if you use it, use it game-wide; don't sometimes border, sometimes not.

2. Readability: Know "What It Is, Worth Picking Up" in Half a Second

Inventory slots, ground drops — players rarely stop to admire.

Three levers:

1) Shape language

Shape	Easy Association
Round bottle / orb	Potion, bomb, fruit
Long bar	Sword, staff, pickaxe
Blocky / square	Shield, book, crate
Key shape	Door, unlock
Star / diamond	Gem, emblem

2) Color coding (industry habit — change if you want, but stay consistent)

• Red → HP / healing
• Blue → MP / magic
• Green → poison / herbs / nature
• Gold → money, lightning, highlight reward
• Purple → rare / eerie

3) Same category, same structure

Potions are all "bottle + liquid + stopper"; weapons are all "handle + blade." Players read structure, not your one bottle's unique pattern.

Same bottle shape, swap liquid color — the system reads instantly. Clearer and cheaper than every bottle a different vessel.

3. How to Draw Icons: Size and Layers

Common sizes:

Use	Size
Inventory / hotbar	16×16 or 32×32 (this lesson defaults to 32; 16 OK to find shape first)
Equipment display	Can be larger

When drawing:

1. Dark outer outline — stands on any UI background
2. Big color blocks first — halved size should still guess sword vs. potion
3. Restrained highlights — glass: small bright top-left; metal: one bright edge; fabric: no mirror chaos
4. Uniform margin — same icon set, consistent padding on all sides

Weapons: silhouette must read as weapon first, then handle vs. blade zones. Handle too thin, blade too fragmented — inventory turns to noise.

Food / materials same: big shape and primary color first; fat edge, texture later. At small size "reads as meat" beats "realistic grain."

4. Chests, Drops, and Visibility in the World

Containers are item language too: wood crate → common; metal bands / lock → better; gold trim / glow → rare. Add parts step by step easier than carving detail from frame one.

When placed in scene, self-check:

• Still outline or faint glow in grass / dark corners?
• Must-pick items pop more than background (but not brighter than protagonist)?
• Pickup feedback at minimum: vanish / shrink / sound (animation lessons later)

Shops and inventory can add text later; on the ground, graphics first.

5. Suggested Workflow (Enough for Small Projects)

1. List 8–20 items needed for this level (don't draw a hundred at once)
2. Visual rules per category: bottle type, handle type, border color
3. Draw one row at unified size
4. Shrink to ~50% or drop into scene sketch: still distinguishable?
5. Key items (health potion, main weapon): optional 2–3 frame idle float

6. Homework

Make at least 8 unified-style item icons (recommend 32×32, or 16×16 with integer upscale preview):

1. Health potion, magic potion
2. Common weapon, rare weapon (same type for comparison is better)
3. Two armor pieces or one shield + one armor
4. Key (or quest token)
5. Gold (or currency)

Attach half-page notes: shape rules per category + color rules + how rarity is marked.

Test: line up eight icons, hide names — can a friend guess use? Still readable at half size?

Optional: gold or potion 2–3 frame up-down float loop.

Next lesson: UI — health bars, inventory slots, buttons — item icons mostly live in these cells.